Callilepis nocturna
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > spider (Araneae) > Spider |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Callilepis nocturna |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Harvey et al., 2017 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | VU, criteria: D2: status likely unchanged since 2017 review. 2/3 recorded hectads in England. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Much more restricted distribution than expected from its apparently preferred habitat |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This species would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Relict or natural rarity |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Thermophilic species found only on exposed rock/scree on coastal cliff/undercliffs. Likely to be associated with the ant Formica cunicularia. Restricted to 2 sites on S coast, 1 in W Wales and vulnerable to increasing storms/wave heights. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Targeted re-survey of recorded and nearby sites, using standardised methodology to assess current status (and establish baseline for national monitoring programme)
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Prawle Point, Cornwall; Tennison Down, IoW.
Comments: Survey wave-cut platforms/undercliffs around Prawle Point, seeking opportunities to reach less inaccessible areas. Significant H&S issues with survey for this species - best practise for cliff sites to be strictly observed.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Autecological research to better characterise habitat requirements, elucidate relationship with the ant Formica cunicularia, and inform management
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Prawle Point
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Site management to include scrub control to maintain open turf and bare scree surfaces.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Prawle Point, Cornwall; Tennison Down, IoW.
Comments: Blackthorn scrub threatens habitat at Prawle Point. Action could be a wider objective of site management.
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.